Jury: Susan Lorincz Guilty of Manslaughter with a Firearm in Neighborhood Dispute

Ocala, Florida’s Verdict on a Long-standing Case

After hours of deliberation on Friday afternoon, a jury declared Susan Louise Lorincz guilty of manslaughter with a firearm in the fatal shooting of her neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens. The verdict potentially sentences Lorincz to 30 years in prison.

Susan Lorincz, who has spent her pretrial period on and off suicide watch, will face sentencing at a later date, pending the results of a pre-sentencing investigation by the Florida Department of Corrections.

Arriving at the Verdict

The jury’s decision came after nearly 2 1/2 hours of consideration, reaching a consensus at roughly 2:35 p.m. Afterward, they returned to the courtroom where Circuit Judge Robert Hodges read the final instructions and verified the verdict form. The court clerk presented the verdict aloud.

Before finalizing their decision, the jury requested clarifications related to the two 911 calls placed by Lorincz and additional details about damage to her front door.

Reactions to the Juror’s Decision

The defense decided not to comment out of respect for the Owens family. However, State Attorney Bill Gladson commented on the case stating, “The jury was able to evaluate the evidence, the credibility of the witnesses, resulting in a verdict of guilty.” Sheriff Billy Woods thanked prosecutors and detectives for their work on the case and was confident that the jury will find Lorincz guilty, citing justice being served upon seeing clear facts.

Attorney Ben Crump expressed his satisfaction with the verdict, emphasizing its importance in securing justice for the late Owens and her family. After the verdict was presented, a visibly moved Pamela Dias, Owens’s mother reacting through her tears: “Oh God. Thank you. Thank you.”

Post-verdict Press Conference and Appeals

Anthony Thomas, the Diaz family attorney, called for the judge to impose the maximum sentence at a later press conference. He applauded the prosecution’s work but insisted that the job was not finished until Lorincz was sentenced. Pamela Dias expressed her relief at the verdict and requested that everyone pray for her grandchildren.

The Background of the Case

The case roots back to the night of June 2, 2023, when 35-year-old single mother AJ Owens was fatally shot while standing outside Lorincz’s front door. The victim’s children, aged 4 to 13, are left motherless by the incident.

Owens had hoped to discuss an incident in which Lorincz scolded her children for playing in what she considered an unauthorized area. Despite allegations of racial slurs used by Lorincz, she claims self-defense and was not immediately taken into custody following the shooting. However, she was arrested five days later upon the completion of investigation by sheriff’s detectives.

The Community and Trial Process

The community and supporters of the Owens family desired for the charges against Lorincz to escalate to second-degree murder and held multiple rallies and protests for the cause. Despite their efforts, the State Attorney’s Office pursued the charge for manslaughter, deeming it adequate.

The trial began with a selection of an all-white jury consisting of six women and two men, two of whom were alternates. The defense and prosecution presented their closing arguments on the reasonability of Lorincz’s lethal force against a non-imminent threat.

The dispute over self-defense

Prosecution lawyer, Adam Smith posed the question, “Was it reasonable for Lorincz to fire her weapon through a closed, locked, metal deadbolt door at someone screaming and yelling outside who went to the home to talk to her about how she treated her children and posed no imminent threat?”

Frances Watson, a lawyer from the defense team, countered that the case was about Lorincz’s perception of her safety, arguing that she had a right to prevent any potential danger from entering her residence, particularly when law enforcement’s response time could have been too late.